Project developers often ask whether a carbon project can "sell into CORSIA". The better question is whether the project can produce units that satisfy CORSIA eligibility at the point an airline needs to cancel them.
That depends on the standard, methodology, crediting-period start, vintage, country, authorisation status, monitoring quality and buyer documentation. If any of those pieces is wrong, the project may still issue voluntary carbon credits but miss the aviation compliance market.
Step 1: choose a route that can plausibly qualify
Start with ICAO's current eligible-unit tables and programme decisions. Then work backwards to the project route. If the likely programme, methodology or activity type is outside the approved CORSIA scope, do not model CORSIA revenue as the base case.
This is especially important for project types where programme restrictions are narrow. Some carbon removal routes, REDD+ approaches or clean-cooking methodologies may have eligibility conditions that are more specific than the headline registry name suggests.
Step 2: check country and authorisation risk early
CORSIA eligibility increasingly depends on host-country authorisation and protection against double claiming. Developers need to understand whether the host country has a process for letters of authorisation, whether it is willing to authorise the project type, and what timeline is realistic.
If the host-country process is immature, that does not necessarily kill the project. But it should change the sales strategy. You may need to treat CORSIA as upside, not guaranteed revenue.
Step 3: design monitoring for airline diligence
Airline buyers and intermediaries will expect more than a registry issuance record. They will ask for clear documentation on vintage, authorisation, safeguards, methodology version, verification, cancellation and claim language. Weak data management makes a project harder to sell even if the credit is technically eligible.
- Keep project boundary, monitoring and issuance records consistent across documents.
- Track which vintages are authorised and which are not.
- Retain evidence that supports the activity type and methodology category.
- Keep beneficiary, safeguard and grievance evidence audit-ready.
- Separate marketing language from confirmed eligibility status.
Step 4: structure sales around eligibility uncertainty
If you sign an offtake for future CORSIA units, the contract needs to say what happens if eligibility is delayed, partially achieved or not achieved. Developers should avoid promising unconditional delivery of CORSIA-ready units before programme scope, host-country authorisation and issuance timing are clear.
A more balanced agreement may use staged pricing, eligibility conditions, replacement limits, or separate voluntary and CORSIA delivery tranches.
Developer checklist before pitching CORSIA
- Can you name the exact ICAO-approved programme and scope condition?
- Do the crediting period and vintage fit the relevant CORSIA phase?
- Is the methodology included, excluded or conditionally treated?
- Can the host country authorise the units for CORSIA use?
- Can the registry label, transfer and cancel the units in the way the buyer needs?
- Does your financial model survive if CORSIA sale is delayed or unavailable?
For early-stage projects, keep CORSIA upside separate from the base feasibility case until authorisation and eligibility are materially clearer.
Open the feasibility workflow →